India whitewash Australia 3-0; Faces Japan in finals tomorrow

Published: Friday, May 2, 2008, 22:03 [IST]

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New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) In what seemed as a tough draw for India, the hosts swept aside top seeds Australia 3-0 in the Asia-Oceania junior Davis Cup tennis tournament at the DLTA complex here today and will now take on Japan in the finals.

Japan too blanked Chinese-Taipei 3-0 to make it tomorrow's final.

In the first match of the day, Saurabh showed excellent skills to oust Jarryd Chaplin 6-3,6-3, while Yuki Bhambri proved too good for Australia's number 1 player Maverick Banes.

Bhambri defeated Banes 6-4, 6-1.

The Australians then decided not to play the the inconsequential doubles tie and conceded the match to India on medical grounds.

After breaking Chaplin in the fourth game of the first set, Saurabh rode his skills and luck to win the set.

However, in the second set, Chaplin, tried hard to challenge Saurabh but the Indian's aggressive play did not help to the Australian's cause.

The world number 5, Bhambri, did not have to make much of efforts, apart from the break point that Banes affected in the first set. But Bhambri recovered to break back immediately and then took the lead by breaking Banes in the tenth game to seal the first set in his favour.

In the second set Bhambari easily overcame Banes and did not give anything away as he broke the Australian in the sixth and eighth game to take the set 6-1.

With the top four teams from the zone - Australia, India, Japan and Chinese Taipei - already qualified for the World Group finals to be staged in Mexico in September, tomorrow's final becomes inconsequential.